Gonzaga senior Kyle Wiltjer is the most versatile player on arguably the nation’s most versatile offense. The 6-foot-10 forward could pose significant challenges for UCLA in Friday’s NCAA Tournament game in Houston.

LOS ANGELES – He is the most versatile weapon on the nation’s most versatile offense, perhaps the best pure scorer still left in the NCAA Tournament, and in December, when UCLA (22-13) and Gonzaga (34-2) first met at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins saw up close just what Kyle Wiltjer could do.

The 6-foot-10 senior forward hit from 3-point range and on post-ups near the basket. His size on the perimeter pulled defenders out of the paint and left open opportunities for Gonzaga’s bigs. When reinforcements were called in underneath, he simply changed course and burned UCLA from deep.

For Looney, less than two months into his collegiate career, his matchup with Wiltjer was a baptism of sorts. The athletic freshman had faced other skilled players before Wiltjer, but none was as smart with as balanced of an offensive game as the Kentucky transfer-turned-Bulldogs leading scorer.

It wasn’t a skill set Wiltjer was capable of properly utilizing at Kentucky. But after transferring and sitting out the mandatory one season, Wiltjer has flourished.

“Probably more than anything, there’s been a mental transformation,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few told reporters last weekend. “‘Hey, I can play like I’m 6-10,’ you know? ‘I can move my feet a little bit. I can get up and protect the rim a little bit. I can get these physically contested rebounds and take a hit down low and deliver,’ and all of that.”

Never was it more apparent than when he artfully dissected Looney and UCLA’s defense for 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in December. Of course, he’s shot an astonishing 66 percent from the field this month too.

While his 3-point shooting – at nearly 48 percent – is perhaps his most dangerous weapon, it’s the breadth of his skills that make Wiltjer such a difficult assignment. For one, he shoots 69.5 percent at the rim – better than any player on UCLA’s roster.

“He hurts you in so many ways,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said. “He runs in transition. He can post up, no matter who you are guarding him. Then, he can take you out with pick-and-pop off ball screens and space the floor.”

Looney again draws the assignment of checking the sharpshooter in Friday’s Sweet 16 game in Houston. It’s an important matchup for the dynamic freshman, with NBA scouts sure to be watching closely to see his improvement since December.

And it’s a crucial matchup for 11th-seeded UCLA’s chances of advancing to its first Elite Eight since 2008. While No. 2 seed Gonzaga is known for its versatility, Wiltjer is the piece that makes the system function as smoothly as it does. Guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell take 62 percent of their shots from 3-point range, while big men Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis do most of their work at the rim (60 percent and 75 percent of their shots, respectively). So focusing efforts on slowing Wiltjer is likely UCLA’s best chance of extending its March run.

“I know I have to close out and make him put the ball on the (floor) more,” Looney said of guarding Wiltjer. “I have to fight him more in the post. I know he’s a real versatile player, and he’s been giving a lot of people a lot of trouble this year.

“I’m looking forward to the matchup.”

ANOTHER LEVEL

With his 49 points during the first weekend of the tournament, Bryce Alford has received much of the praise for UCLA’s backcourt evolution. But the development of the Bruins’ other guard, Isaac Hamilton, has been similarly vital.

Since scoring 36 points in UCLA’s Pac-12 Tournament opener against USC, Hamilton has “seen his confidence go to another level,” according to Alford. The smooth combo guard has emerged as a primary ball handler, allowing Bryce Alford to spot-up on the perimeter more often. Hamilton has also stepped up his game on defense, where he’d previously been a liability.

“He’s playing at a really high level,” Alford said. “He’s really keyed a lot of what we’ve been doing defensively.”

Ryan Kartje is a sports features reporter, with a special focus on the NFL and college sports. He has worked for the Orange County Register since 2012, when he was hired as UCLA beat writer. His enterprise work on the rise and fall of the daily fantasy sports industry (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/industry-689093-fantasy-daily.html) was honored in 2015 with an Associated Press Sports Editors’ enterprise award in the highest circulation category. His writing has also been honored by the Football Writers Association of America and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Ryan worked for the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times and Fox Sports Wisconsin, before moving out west to live by the beach and eat copious amounts of burritos.